InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Filling the Void ❯ Stumbling Steps ( Chapter 3 )

Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha. He is the property of Rumiko Takahashi and Viz Productions. I do not gain financially from this creation.

 

A/N: Thanks to my reviewers. Thanks for being patient with me, I had to get through my finals' haze, but now I have a few weeks for myself. This fic only has a few chapters to go, so I really hope to get it done.

 

Chapter 3

 

“What are you doing?”

 

Sango's words cut through his frantic sorting, freezing his packing. Even though she was going to be living with a prince Miroku didn't want to take the things she might need. The wet contents of their bags were spread out over the floor and Miroku was trying to stuff what he could back into his own bag as quickly as possible.

 

Miroku found he could only stare up at Sango, surprised to see her at all since he did not think he would ever see her again.

 

She was looking down at him with the strangest look in her eyes—he could tell she was angry, but there was also a sadness about her, and something even darker and hidden he could not begin to make out. “What are you doing?” She repeated softly, loosing some of her wrath. Her body sagged a little, her belly more obvious in the thin kimono with her slump.

 

“What the hell does it look like?” Miroku growled. He did not want to sound angry, but he knew as well as Sango that anger was exactly the impression he was giving off. He could read Sango's response ever so clearly and he knew the pain she felt was similar to his own.

 

“I know what looks like, but I don't understand. Can't you give me an explanation, Miroku?” Sango demanded, her and on her hip.

 

Meanwhile, Miroku was stuffing clothes into the bad, nabbing up a sackcloth or two that contained food as well as one of their water bottles. Nimbly he stood, slinging the bag over his back, heading toward the door.

 

“This is for the best and you know it,” Miroku muttered, pushing past her to get out of the suddenly stifling room.

 

Sango let him by, but followed him, wrapping her arms around her chest tightly.

 

Miroku tried to walk faster but he could hear her quiet foot falls following closely behind him no matter how fast he moved. It was getting to the point where he was going to have to start running if he wanted to lose her.

 

Scurrying across the courtyard in the moonlight, he ignored the guards who were staring at him and Sango curiously.

 

They were closing in on the gate when Miroku stopped. He whirled around to face Sango, his eyes blazing.

 

I am going to tell her what is best for her.

 

I am going to congratulate her.

 

I am going to wish her well with our child.

 

But all that came out of his mouth was a whiny, “Why are you following me?!”

 

Sango stopped, frozen in her place. He could read her expression, but there was a gleam in her eyes that made him uncomfortable.

 

Avoiding his question, Sango went straight to her point. “So what now? You found a place to ditch me and you're just going to leave?” She pulled her dress around her little tighter, shivering in the night air.

 

Shaking his head violently Miroku tried to remove the idea from his head. He was not abandoning her! If anything she was leaving him, and now she wanted him to just hang around? “Abandon you, Sango, really?” As Miroku spoke, he turned back toward the gate readying for flight.

 

“You have your bags packed and you're leaving in the middle of the night. After telling me you would be there for the baby, I don't see how that's not abandonment!” Sango yelled, feeling very angry at the moment. She lunged forward, and latched onto his pack, trying to pull it to her to keep him there. He was not just going to leave her now—not when she was ready to fight for him.

 

A tiny voice in her head hissed that she should just let him go, he clearly had changed his mind, but another voice wanted to know—at the very least—why he chose now of all times to leave. Something wasn't right.

 

Miroku himself was seething. He turned back to face her and exploded, “You don't need me to take care of the child! Not when you have a spoiled prince to give you whatever you want!” It hurt so much to say the words, to reveal the personal hurt. So much for being noble.

 

Sango stared at him blankly before her fact twisted with confusion. “What?”

 

Miroku decided it might be best to just come clean, “I was walking when you were taking to Kuranosuke. I heard everything.” He spoke quietly, looking down so he would not have to see her face when she told him he might as well go on without her.

 

“Everything?” Sango said, quietly. Her face flushed at thought of Miroku hearing the words she had spoken earlier. What was I thinking? I want him t know how I feel, but not like this!

 

“Yes, everything. I think its great he's willing to take you and the baby in.” Miroku kept his head bowed, but he could not stop himself from peeking up at her through his bangs.

 

Sango's head was spinning.

 

She could see Miroku looking at her, waiting to for her say anything, even if he thought she thought he was staring at the ground.

 

What was he talking about?

 

“Kur-Kuranosuke did say that, but…” she was stuck and very confused. Maybe he left when he thought I was going to say yes to Kuranosuke? Though why anyone would be so stupid to leave then, I don't know. “Is th—that all you heard?”

 

Miroku was shocked by the question. By the fluttering of hope that appeared in Sango's voice. He snapped, jerking his head up to glare fully in her eyes, “Besides you sucking face with His Royal Highness? No, I'm afraid I missed that.” He spat at her bitterly.

 

Miroku felt the darkness he had felt before closing in on him, wrapping around him like a thick wet blanket. He was suffocating in the need to both be near Sango and the urge to run as far away from her before she had a chance to destroy him herself with her rebuke.

 

Again, Sango found herself staring at him blankly.

 

Then she had a realization.

 

He was jealous. Very, very jealous.

 

Since she had met Miroku, there had only been a few times when Sango had thought Miroku was jealous because another man was making a move on her. Each and every time, he had looked somber and passive, pale and pretty much indifferent. She had always believed Miroku showed jealousy by relaxing, giving up, pushing the thing he coveted away with minimal emotional strain on his own being. In the past she could not blame him as death had always loomed over him. That was why he had run from her in the first place, wasn't it?.

 

But now she could tell he was struggling with the old habit of just letting her go and the new found truth that he did not have to.

 

Gathering her strength, Sango knew what she had to say if she wanted to have the smallest chance of keeping him near.

 

“Kuranosuke has never been good with the word `no,'” Sango reached out for his hand. Miroku flinched at the gesture, but in the end he let her thin and calloused fingers curve around his own. “I refuse to marry a man I do not love and would rather walk alone.”

 

“Sango—I….” He tried to speak, but the words failed him. Instead, Miroku could only look down at the ground as he prayed her words meant what he wanted them to mean.

 

She knew he could say anything in that moment, and the old fear that he was not in love with her flared. She did not think she could bear him telling her that in words so she gave him the easy out. “Come back with me, Miroku. We have a long way to travel tomorrow.” Gripping his hand a little more, Sango attempted to lead him to their room, but he stopped her.

 

“Sango—”

 

“You don't have say anything, its alright,” she stopped him. As long as he didn't say it, things could stay the way they had been.

 

“No, its not alright,” Miroku growled. “First, do you mean to say you're not staying here with Kuranosuke?” There were just things he had to have clear, no matter how dense it made him look.

 

A faint smile appeared on Sango's face, but otherwise she remained unreadable. “You and I are leaving tomorrow, and as far as I'm concerned, I'll never be seeing Kuranosuke again. I'm certainly not marrying him.”

 

Miroku was speechless. Something like the darkness that had clouded his vision before was working on his mind now, but it was more thrilling and made him oh so dizzy. Its affect was the same as the despair—to make him mindless and blind—but he could now taste hope on his tongue.

 

“Miroku?” Sango's worried voice cut through his thoughts. She was looking at him and he knew she was expecting him to say something.

 

“So does this—what does this mean?” He managed to get out after a moment to collect his thoughts.

 

Sango blushed. “I'm not asking to come me just because you are the father of my child,” she sucked in a quick breath to give strength. “I want you with me. I—I think we'll be happy together.” Her eyes dropped to the ground, and she could not say the words she really wanted to say. “That is if you still want to go with me—please, don't feel obligated. The choice has always been yours Miroku. I just wanted you to know that and that—that if I had to chose anyone to be with me, it would be you.”

 

Not exactly what I was going for, but I think he got the idea… Sango breathed out a sigh of relief as Miroku's face had relaxed. He was looking happy for the first time in a long time.

 

Miroku wanted to tell her how he really felt, but since she had not said the words exactly herself, the words failed him. “Sango, thank you. You took the words out of my mouth.”

 

Sango couldn't help dragging Miroku to her, hugging him tightly in the moonlight.

 

She pulled away after a long while, and clasping his hand, pulling him back to their room.

 

They still had a long way to go, but they finally seemed to be on the right path.

 

XXXXXXXXX

 

A/N: I hope this chapter wasn't as much as a downer as the others. See? I said it would happier. Just so you know, this is not yet the end. They still have to get to the youkai exterminator village, so I'm thinking 2-3 chapters to go.

 

Since it is not the shitty, soul crushing part of the semester, I'm still on alternating fics for updates, so those of you who read my other stuff, up next is “Marriage of Convenience.” I have a small start on the chapter and a quasi outline. Wish me luck.